Anybody else without a warm, fuzzy feeling about assisted openers?

Artfully Martial said:
Well, I'll grant you that, but I'm not arguing that they're unnecessary, I'm arguing that they are worse, functionally speaking, than a good manual counterpart (say an axis lock--much less a RAM).

A good AO may be able to keep up with me on my manual openings (may--and I'm kind of skeptical. I can open my manuals on the draw with my wrist for one thing, and flicking a thumbstud or flipper doesn't take any longer, or slightly less long).

But no AO can keep up with me on closing. The resistance of the spring has to be overcome, and they cannot be flicked closed. On an axis lock or ram, or their various counterparts, I can just flick it closed. This is very nice when you've got to take out your knife and put it back up over and over again, throughout the day.

AO just slows me down. And that's the reason I don't want it.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with that argument at all . . .
 
I'm with Spiral and 5.56. I also do like being able to flick my non-AOs closed. Living in Fl. AO and Autos are not a concern. I have often wondered if LE would consider the way many of us use Axis Lock systems as a gravity knife. This would probably depend on the individual LEO decision regardless of what the law is.
 
I have some but once the novelty wears off what do you have? Would I buy another one? If I liked the design/knife itsellf probably. Would I buy one because it was AO? No
 
Interesting Thread! I really like my Leek AOs, but do have the concern that a LEO could choose to interpret it as an Auto. I discussed it with a local City Police Officer friend, who thinks it could be construed as a "switchblade" according to Louisiana law. The law is somewhat vague in that it uses the term "similar contrivance. See:

Louisiana - R.S. 14:95. Illegal carrying of weapons is...
(1) The intentional concealment of any firearm, or other
instrumentality customarily used or intended for probable
use as a dangerous weapon, on one's person; or
(4) The manufacture, ownership, possession, custody or use
of any switchblade knife, spring knife or other knife or
similar instrument having a blade which may be
automatically unfolded or extended from a handle by the
manipulation of a button, switch, latch or similar
contrivance...
 
SOLEIL said:
I have often wondered if LE would consider the way many of us use Axis Lock systems as a gravity knife. This would probably depend on the individual LEO decision regardless of what the law is.
Click to expand...

+1

It's all about perspective.
On an Axis lock you have to overcome the spring in a different way, plus I worry about that spring breaking....... dagnabit I guess AM and I will have to call it a draw ;):D

DoctaD.......see the portion of the text highlighted in red. That statement is true of AOs, Axis Locks, and knives in general where a length restriction is in place (because everyone measures blade length differently... edge length, tip to handle...). Vague laws lead to situations where you might have a hard time defending yourself on a charge stemming from carrying just about any knife.
 
Last edited:
I have a couple AO knives (S&W and Kershaw) .. I like them .. I also have several plain folders which I like equally .. I can flip as fast as I can push out an AO .. So it just depends on the day if I carry one or not .. Just my $.02
 
My manual BM Axis lock is the ticket---there is nothing better.

I have an auto/AXIS that never gets used because the manual works so much better----the only reason I keep it is for the forbidden fruit/cool factor.
 
Professor said:
More and more production knife companies are making assisted openers at lower and lower price points (BM, CRKT, Kershaw, Gerber), and my fear is that once they flood the market, we're going to start seeing some legal backlash.
Click to expand...
Honestly, I am kind of supprised it has not happened already. Legislators and DAs seem so intent on being percieved as "doing something" about "crime" that AO's would seem an easy target.

Not that I think most knife laws make the world any safer. Laws against switchblades, lockblades, knives over X-inches are all just public relations BS for legislators who can't do anything truely sustative to reduce crime or make society safer. :jerkit:

I just know that I can deploy my one-hand-opener as fast as I need to, and have never seen the point of the added parts that an assisted opener employs.
Click to expand...
I have a couple AO knives and for the most part I think they are interesting gimicks, but nothing more. For that matter I feel the same way about the couple of true autos I own. Fun to play with, but I find my regular one-hand openers just as fast and convenient as any AO or auto I have tried.

For example, the Kershaw Leek is probably my favorite AO and I use it as an EDC blade some times. I do this because it has a nice functional blade, its slim and lightweight, and a good size for EDC in my pocket, not for it's AO functions. I'd like it just as much if it was a stud or thumb-hole one handed opener. ;)
 
Times are bad when honest people have to fear the law. From what I'm reading, just about any folder with a loose pivot screw and a smooth action could be considered a gravity knife in some places. I better check my pivots more often.
 
If AO's are a gimmick (and I have a Chive I bought in 2000 so this must be a long-lived gimmick and one that carries a US patent as well) then what are autos? I never hear anybody saying that auto knives are gimmicks and they've been around for decades.
 
I like AO as much as I like non-AO. :)

It is a feature on a knife that neither sells or repels. I take the knife on the whole with all features considered. If a feature is poorly implemented or better implemented on another knife, I won't buy. But just because it has AO or not is not a deciding factor for me.

Just my $.02.
 
I don't care for the AO at all. Even the ProTech goodness of the Ciabatta I had didn't compensate for the fiddle factor. Fortunately, Kershaw came out with the cool new OD-1, and Skyline with no AO and made in the USA to boot. I hate to have to go to Walmart for them, but they're the first new Kershaws I've really liked in a long time.
 
I don't let whether a knife does or does not have AO influence my decision to purchase it or not. To me OA is neat but not necessary, and having it doesn't deter from the function of the knife.

To each is own.

As far as legality, they're real subjective. If I'm going some place that I'm not familiar with the laws and general reactions I just take something like my Spyderco Centofante 4.
 
I'm neutral toward AO. If I like a folder, it's not gonna matter whether or not it's AO.
 
I've had a Kershaw Boa for a few years and really like the knife. The fact that is AO is really almost secondary as far as the appeal of it goes-just the overall size and quality are enough for me.
 
I like'em. Seems like, when I need to use a knife, I only have one hand free and 'waving' on your pocket, or thumbing the hole or stud is more complicated (to me) that pushing the little flipper on the Twitch II.
Being retired, I no longer need to be wary of the 'potential serial killer' looks the brass gave me when the knife went "snap!" in the office.
But, I also carry a Case soddie Jr for all those 'soccer mom' occasions when the innocent bystanders can't be trusted not to faint when the AO snaps open.
 
Thanks for an insightful and thought-provoking thread, guys.

This is a timely discussion for knuts!

Professor.
 
crom said:
If AO's are a gimmick (and I have a Chive I bought in 2000 so this must be a long-lived gimmick and one that carries a US patent as well) then what are autos? I never hear anybody saying that auto knives are gimmicks and they've been around for decades.
Click to expand...
Longevity just means the gimick remains popular. ;)

Both AOs and autos offer one-handed opening. One handed opening is a useful feature that has its place. On the other hand, a simple stud or thumb-hole offers the same one-hand convenience, without the extra mechanical complications of AOs or autos which (IMO) makes them both gimicks.

(There now someone has said it! :p)
 
I like the option, the option of picking any knife I chose to carry.
Whether it be an AO, slip joint, flipper or fixed blade.

As far as AO's being unnecessary, a long, long time ago in a far
off galaxy, there were only fix blades and someone made a folder.
Someone walked up and said "What the hell, that's unnecessary".
Then someone added a nail groove, then a lock, then a thumb stud..........
;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top